During my psychology class my editor and friend, Kendall Shiffman, and I watched a video about a man who can see using his “sonar” abilities.

Daniel Kish is completely blind and has zero sensitivity in his optical nerves. He has been blind since he was 13 months old.

Because of this he has a “freedom stick”, which is a much longer cane than most others, that he uses to sense the objects around him.

Although he has his freedom stick, he has developed another ability which allows him to be even more aware of his surroundings; clicking, a form of echolocation he has developed to sense the world around him.

Discovering this, I attempted to click my way up the stairs to my next class…which didn’t end well.

His echolocation abilities, much like a bat’s, develop an image in the mind that can distinguish shapes, giving Kish the ability to walk, ride a bike, and run without a stick. Rather, he just needs his tongue.

This beautiful ability Kish has created fascinates me. I wish I could, for a day, see what Kish sees; find sight in the darkness called blindness.